On September 18, Jo Yong-beom, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, visited a multicultural family support center and stated, "This is an investment in the future that not only addresses the difficulties faced by individual families but also supports their growth as members of our society."
During his visit to the family center in Guro-gu, Seoul, Jo assessed the current status of family support programs, including education and care for children of multicultural families, and discussed ways to improve support with local officials. This visit was part of the ministry's initiative to conduct on-site evaluations.
The government has proposed a budget of 162 billion won for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's 'Support for Healthy Families and Multicultural Families' program for the next fiscal year, an increase of 10.6 billion won (7.0%) from this year. The current year's budget is 151.4 billion won, with 150.1 billion won already disbursed by the end of August, resulting in a 99.1% execution rate.
This program integrates services tailored to the life cycle and needs of families, including family counseling, case management, parent education, support for the economic independence of multicultural families, and assistance for families in crisis. The Guro-gu family center has been providing comprehensive support services, including child education and care, and employment support for marriage immigrants since its opening in 2006.
During the meeting, local officials noted that as children from multicultural families grow, their support needs are diversifying, requiring not only basic education but also career exploration and emotional support. They emphasized the need for flexible operations of family centers to reflect regional differences in family composition and demand.
Jo also reviewed the status of special training for childcare providers, Korean language education for marriage immigrants, the alternative education institution 'Umteum School' for multicultural children, and the shared parenting space 'Tumble Kids.' At Umteum School, which serves youth from immigrant backgrounds and late entrants, he observed Korean language classes and shared songpyeon (rice cakes) and fruit with the students.
Jo emphasized, "While the forms of families are becoming more diverse, the principle that every child should have access to sufficient education and growth opportunities remains unchanged. Family centers must serve as a strong link that enables diverse families to live stably in the community and grow together."
The Ministry of Strategy and Finance plans to continue monitoring the execution status and improvement tasks in collaboration with relevant departments to ensure that the opinions of policy beneficiaries are heard and that support leads to tangible results.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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